Cameron's College Adventure
by Paperback-Avenger
Summary: (After Free) Cameron is on his own in college. And, with his new friends, Cameron decides to use his independence and his newfound ideas of standing up for himself against those who only want to bring them all down.
1. Chapter 1

**I had this story idea with one chapter, but now that I am re-inspired to do this, here we go! Enjoy! **

In order to get everything packed up, they had to take two cars. Uncle Harvey insisted that he take his nephew's car and fill it up. Ferris, who finally got his own car, packed it to the brim with his best friend's belongings. The trip was an hour and a half and the heat was still rising. Yet, Cameron didn't care. He was happy to have time away from Chicago. His unruly family didn't have to breathe down his neck every five seconds. No more arguments and no more worrying. He finally felt as though he had freedom, a smile on his face at the thought of his new home. Ferris reluctantly suggested University of Notre Dame, knowing his best friend wanted to get away from the drama. He'd gotten in right away.

"I thought you didn't want to be in a huge city," Sloane mentioned from the back, eyes dodging all around.

"I didn't," Cameron glanced to the back," but Ferris said that this was a good time for me to get away. Plus, they gave me a twenty thousand dollar scholarship. The less money I have to pay, the better!"

Sloane wished her boyfriend hadn't convinced Cameron to go so far away for school. True, he needed to be away from his parents. However, she would miss seeing one of her closest friends. They were only five minutes away from the school but they could see the city clearly. Cameron looked all around, taking in his new home. He could get used to this place. Ferris glanced over, both hands securely on the steering wheel and a sad smile on his face.

"We're almost there," he said," Are you sure you don't want to turn back around and go to the local university with me?"

"Sorry Ferris," Cameron laughed," but this is my dream and it's coming true."

Ferris nodded, although he really did want to turn the car around. He would miss Cameron too much, he told himself as they arrived. He could see the look of happiness on the blue-eyed boy's face. He could tell this is what he wanted...in a way. If his parents hadn't been such awful people, perhaps he would have gone to school in Chicago. Of course, plans were changing and life would not always stay the same. They all had to accept that.

"What hall did you say you lived in?" Sloane asked.

"Carroll Hall," Cameron said just as they arrived to his residency.

The group got out of the car and started to unpack. The amount of people standing before them was incredible. Trunks and boxes were all around, contents nearly pouring out. Some mothers were hugging their teens, crying about them not wanting to leave. Other mothers were calm and collected, wishing nothing but good luck to their babies. Fathers had proud looks (except for a few) and freshmen? They were just excited.

"Welp," Cameron looked around," We're here."

"Ah, just as beautiful as I remember it," Uncle Harvey sighed as he approached the group, putting down a box.

"You went here, Uncle Harvey?"

"Just for a tour. But man, it was amazing!"

Cameron couldn't help but smile. His uncle had always been a guy like Rodney Dangerfield (in both looks and comedy). Out of everyone in his family, he got along most with the older man. He was there in times of need. He kept his head up when Morris and Sandy would fight, knowing how badly it affected his nephew. He hated to see Cameron upset, so after years of heartbreak and mistreatment, he was happy for him to get away. Yet sad to see them leave.

After Cameron got his room number, the crew went straight to work. Boxes and bags dragged their way around the halls and up into 202. The blue eyed boy sat at the door, excited for the new world before him. When he opened the door, he saw that the room had yet to be occupied. He was relieved to know that he got first choice. He set his stuff on the right, taking the bed that nearly hugged the desk next to it. The three others looked to each other, unsure of what to say. However, the excited college boy smiled and turned to his group.

"This is it," he sighed.

"I'll say," Ferris mumbled, glad he could go to a school close to home.

"Oh, Cameron," Uncle Harvey sighed and slapped a hand on his nephew's shoulder," We've been through so much together. I just can't believe you're already a college boy."

"Well, believe it, Uncle Harv," his nephew said as he gave him a hug," Thanks for letting me stay with you. And being a better father than my own."

Harvey felt a great pride in his heart. He embraced the hug tightly, not wanting to let go. He knew he would never have children of his own, so seeing his favorite nephew leave him...it was devastating. Cameron thanked Sloane for all the sweet words and her various words of encouragement throughout the years. She smiled and hugged the boy one last time before walking out with Uncle Harvey. Ferris needed to be alone with his best friend. The two sat on the bed as they looked around. There was a minute of awkward silence, trying to figure out what to say or how to process the separation. Ferris, in a sense, was losing his best friend. The one he cared about for so many years. The one he loved dearly. He tried to hide the tears in his eyes, but Cameron noticed right away.

"Don't cry, Ferris," he said," Everything's gonna be okay. I'll write to you."

"Huh?" Ferris heard his voice crack as he desperately tried to wipe the tears away," I'm not crying."

"Yes you are," Cameron hugged his best friend," It's okay. This isn't the end for us, you know."

"It is. You're not coming back to Chicago, even if your life depends on it."

"Ferris, you know I can't do that."

"I know," he sighed," I just wish that life didn't move so fast."

Cameron smiled and pulled away. He studied his best friend for a minute, happy to remember all of those times he was dragged around town. He had to admit it- he had fun.

"You always stopped to look around- you never missed a thing."

Ferris smiled as they stood up. With a last goodbye, the three went back to their lives in Chicago. They hoped to see their blue-eyed friend again- but they were doubtful. As for Cameron, he sat on the bed and looked around. This was his life now. He hated to leave his friends, but he loved the idea of a new experience. He needed to get out of Chicago and this was his only escape.

"Alright, Cam," he whispered," let's get to work."

As he unpacked and made his bed, the door opened. Cameron looked over to find a young man walking in, two adults and a younger girl trailing behind him. His mane of black hair bounced excitedly as he pushed his suitcases in. His dark eyes glanced over the room until he saw the other boy. His smile grew wide as he tossed the bags aside. He looked happy to be in the presence of his roommate. He walked over to Cameron quickly, the other boy a little stunned by his overjoyed personality.

"Hey there!" he said," I was hoping you'd be here. I'm Charles Spadina. But you can call me Charlie, since we're roommates and all."

"Cameron Frye," the other boy noted as they shook hands," Cameron's fine."

"Great!" Charlie watched as his parents and the young girl put the boxes down," Mom, Dad, Sissy- this is my roommate, Cameron."

Cameron introduced himself to the father and mother. Charlie's mother, a young Chinese woman, looked over to see that the boy was alone. She asked him, in a sweet voice, if his parents had been here to help him. Before he could explain, the woman insisted that she help him get settled in.

"No, ma'am," Cameron insisted," It's alright."

"Are you sure?" she asked," Perhaps I can just-"

"Thank you."

The woman smiled and nodded, backing away from from the situation. As Charles was saying goodbye to his parents, the younger girl came up to Cameron. He looked down at her, confused, until the tween extended her index finger to him.

"Charlie's your problem now, kid," she laughed," Thank God for that."

"He can't be that bad," Cameron laughed, but the girl remained serious.

"You didn't have to deal with him for fifteen years."

"But I can't forget how much I'm gonna miss little Sissy!"

Charlie wrapped his arms around his sister, who tried to get away and became angered that he was holding her down. The siblings truly loved each other, but they liked to annoy one another. Cameron wished he had something so close. He could feel the love between the family. He wished he'd had that with his own flesh and blood. As soon as the hugs and goodbyes stopped, Charlie waved to his family and they went off, leaving their son to explore his own world. The students soon went to dinner, then home to get rest for their upcoming classes. Charlie, however, could not sleep.

"So where are you from?" he asked, putting up a poster.

"Chicago. And you?"

"Right on!" he said with a laugh," I'm from Pennsylvania. Out in Pittsburgh. I would've gone to their school, but I didn't get accepted. I was dared to send an application here because of my buddy Scott. We were playing truth or dare on Halloween and I either had to tell this girl that I liked her or apply to Norte Dame. But it doesn't matter- I'm glad to be here!"

"Me too," Cameron smiled," What's your major?"

"I don't know what it's called, but I want to be a surgeon! They get paid a lot and I kinda need the money. It's also great to save lives!"

Charlie had his heart in the right place but he seemed...dense. Although he had high spirits, the stories he told about trying to pet wild deer and trying to swallow quarters were obscure. Nonetheless, Cameron felt as though he could get along well with Charlie. As they were hopping into bed, the dark eyed boy looked over to his new roommate.

"Hey Cameron?"

"Hm?"

"You never did tell me your major."

Cameron paused for a minute and glanced over to the boy. He wasn't sure what to say, but he knew he had to come up with an answer.

"Truth be told,"he laughed awkwardly," I don't have a major. I just...I could never decide that I wanted to do with my life. It's always been a hard thing to figure out. I need to discover myself before I figure out what I want to do with my life."

"That's what college is all about, man," Charlie said with a soft laugh," You just have to discover your passion and who you really are. Yeah, it'll take some time, but once you find everything you could ever need. It'll feel great."

Cameron went to thank Charlie for his kind words, but the other boy had been fast asleep by the time he could speak.

Cameron sat patiently in History 104, his hands on the table. History was not a first choice, as he had some previously boring teachers- but this was college and it would be a new face for him. That, and he had to take the course for credits. The pens were organized neatly and his books were right before him. A few older kids chuckled, knowing how their behavior had changed over time. How they had given up and leaned more towards parties than studying. However, they would not diminish the hopes of a new student.

Suddenly, a man in a typical professor uniform showed up. His patched elbow jacket and khakis intimidated the young students, but the blue eyed boy in the middle kept a straight face. The professor had a serious look, his tiny glasses scanning over the crowd. Doctor Cipher was a lot shorter than Cameron expected. He was, nonetheless, nervous. The man wrote his name "Dr. Andrew Cipher" on the board, then stood before the crowd.

"Call me Andrew, call me Doctor Cipher," he said with a British accent," As long as you don't call me jackass, we don't have a problem. Now then, history 104. Sure, it may be a requirement for some of you, but those who enjoy history are in for a surprise. Who can tell me what they think of when they hear the word 'history'? How about the gentleman in the third row? Middle seat."

"Me?" Cameron pointed to himself.

"Of course!"

With all eyes on him, the boy could not think of something to say. The professor gave encouraging eyes, hoping he could get something out of his new student. The young man said 'Heroes' and the professor hopped onto his desk, scaring some of the students. He gave a thrilled smile to them all.

"Heroes are a big part of history," he exclaimed," I'm sure you've always been taught about the heroes of America and Europe and Asia and whatnot. They took history by the balls and led people onward! We have been inspired for years by such people. They have shown us the light of bad situations! Future generations- like yourselves- will shine the light on someone. One day, you will inspire people. One day, you will be an American hero. Not me, of course."

Cameron and the others chuckled as he got off of the desk to pass the role sheet around. Cam had a feeling that he would love this class. Dr Cipher then began to write notes on the board. As Cameron started to copy them, he noticed the girl in front of him was writing quickly. The wavy black hair bounced as she scribbled furiously. She looked like she meant business. As they continued onward, her pen accidentally slipped her hand. It landed at Cameron's feet, but she hadn't noticed.

"Shit," she mumbled as she grabbed another pen.

Cameron grabbed the pen, noticing the little bite marks on the cap. He looked at his own pen, knowing very well that it had bite marks as well. Before he could give the pen back at the end of class, she'd walked off. He'd seen her Wednesday for history- he could give it back to her then.


	2. Chapter2

**Enjoy!**

"How do we already have this much work?"

Charlie and Cameron were at their desks, already facing a giant pile of work. Charlie was tapping his pencil lightly on his desk, wondering if he would ever get past all of this work. Cameron, meanwhile, was reading a book that his English Professor assigned to them. She said to read Chapter 3 by Wednesday, but Frye was sure that he would make it past the first page of the first chapter. He knew college was gonna be tough, but boring? Especially on the first day? It shocked him. However, he knew he had to get his work done, or it would lead to his failure. Charlie looked up from his notebook.

"I already have a paper due for Composition," he explained," It's about why I chose to be a surgeon."

"That doesn't sound so bad," Cameron mentioned," How many pages is it?"

"Six," Charlie sighed," In high school, I would turn in two pages and that would be enough. I knew, when I left, that I was gonna miss it. All those times with my friends and talking to my teacher. Our high school was so close knit and everyone knew everyone. It was such a great community. How about you? Do you miss your high school?"

"Only the people," Cam shrugged as he got to the second chapter," I had two close friends that I cared about. Our high school sucked, if I'm honest. We had this terrible principal, but Ferris made the whole school tolerable. I only regret leaving Chicago because of him and…"

A loud roar of excitement was heard from the floor below. Music started to blast and more cheers came about. Cameron and Charlie glanced at one another, confused by the noise. Frye got up and walked to the window, looking down below. He found students all around, people with red solo cups standing near one another. Cameron shut the window, but even that hadn't helped. They tried to ignore it, but it seemed to be of no use. If they hadn't been extraordinarily loud, the roommates wouldn't have cared. However, they knew that they had to study and all sorts of noises were not going to help.

"Do you think if I went down there and politely asked them to shut up," Cam started," they would?"

"Oh, sure!" Charlie said, meaning to sound sarcastic.

"Then that's just what I'll do."

Cameron got up and walked to the door. By the time he was down the hall, Charlie realized that his roommate was serious. He followed after him, hoping his newfound friend was not about to get himself killed. They made it outside, where several people were going on. Cameron had never been one for parties, while Charlie was the exact opposite. Someone offered him a drink and he took it, following right behind Frye, who tapped on the shoulder of a tall, blonde woman.

"Excuse me?" He asked rather loudly," Do you know whose party this is?"

"You've got to be a freshman," she laughed.

'Yeah?"

"This is a Josh Stapleton party," she explained, eyeing a hunky senior with a small group," he's always throwing crazy parties like this. They get loud, and they get wild!"

Cameron looked over at the smooth-faced young man in a varsity jacket. The dark haired boy was smiling with his friends. There was a beauty about Josh that many found themselves glancing at. Charlie glanced over at Cameron, then back at Josh, intrigued by the way the football star yelled and laughed. Cam took a deep breath and approached the young man.

"Excuse me."

The small crew turned to him, and even though he stood tall, Charlie was slowly shrinking. Josh looked over to Cameron and raised an eyebrow.

"Can I help you?" He asked.

"Hi. I was wondering if you could turn down the music, just a little bit?"

The football players let out a small laugh. Josh silenced them, a smirk on his face, walking up to the young man.

"It's just a party, kid," he said," Don't like it? Don't listen?"

"Well," Cam was growing slightly nervous,"You see, I—my roommate and I," Josh glanced over to Charlie, who gave an awkward wave, "we're studying and we-"

"Studying on the first day?" Josh laughed,"What's your name, Freshie?"

"Cameron. Cameron Frye."

"Well, Cameron Frye, the boys and I have been waiting for someone like you to say something. Freshman nerds always do. You know, college ain't just about picking up a book and taking an exam. It's supposed to be the time my buddies and I dominate the school. And you wanna know how we do that?"

Josh was close to Cam's face by now. Everyone was watching as Cam gave a slow nod. Charlie could tell that there was about to be a fight. He slowly began to walk back inside, walking backwards. Josh raised a hand and slowly put one finger down. He put another down, and Cam took that a sign. By the time Josh had one finger down, they were rushing back to their building. Josh put his hand down and the small group ran towards the nerds.

"We're in for it now," Charlie yelped as they made it inside.

"You take the right," Cameron said," I'll take the left."

They nodded and ran off. The group entered, Josh sent two guys after Charlie, who was up one flight of stairs by now. Josh turned as he saw Cameron heading up another flight. The others went after him.

Cameron panicked and ran. He missed his own floor and ran above it. He saw that the crew was gaining on him and fast. Frye approached the hall and ran, heading to the other flight of stairs, knowing that they would all be up on the floor in a matter of seconds.

"Psst," a voice came out of a room with a cracked door," Hide in here."

Cameron looked to the door, then to the stairs. They were almost there. Without hesitation, he dove in, onto a beanbag, and shut the door. When he looked up, he saw a room of tie-dye and old records all around. The room had a stoner vibe that he wasn't used to. He heard the crew stomping outside of the room, but he could breathe.

"Thank you," he looked up to find three people laying around.

"Ay, it's not a problem," a tiny, curly haired guy laughed, laying next to a long haired blonde girl,"Welcome to Sophomore Central!"

"We saw you standing up to Josh," A pretty-eyed, short haired boy mentioned as he helped Cameron up," Man, you're crazy!"

"I just wanted to have some peace and quiet when it came to studying," he admitted," Guess I'm not gonna get that. Oh, I'm Cameron, Cameron Frye."

"Dusty Nicks," The curly haired boy nodded.

"Miranda Lewis," the girl mentioned.

"And I'm Justin Harper."

"So," Cameron said," How do you guys deal with those guys?"

They all shrugged. They knew it was impossible to get through to the star and his friends. They were going to do what was best for them. They mentioned pranks, parties and problems with no limit. Cameron, with thought, knew they couldn't take this.

"We've gotta deal with him," he looked to them," With all of them."

"How?" Miranda asked," He won't listen to anyone not popular."

"Bogus," Dusty mentioned.

"We just need to team up. We need to get them back."


	3. Chapter 3

**Enjoy! **

"Does anyone have any idea as to when Hitler invaded Poland?" Doctor Cipher asked.

Cameron was holding the pen tightly in his hand. He could see the girl in front of him was taking note. She raised her hand and announced the date with a proud smile on her face.

"Excellent work, Katherine!"

Cameron looked down at Katherine, who continued to take notes. She was so into work, and he didn't want to interrupt her. So, he waited until after class, holding the pen in his right hand and having anxiety build up in his chest. Once Doctor Cipher dismissed class, Katherine stood up and gathered her belongings.

"Excuse me," Cameron approached, causing her to whip around and almost hit him with her hair.

"Oh! I'm so sorry!" She exclaimed softly," I didn't mean to hit you."

"It's okay," Cam gave an awkward smile, holding out her pen," On Monday, you dropped this. I was gonna give it to you after class but-"

"Thank you," she took the pen, trying to hide the teeth marks, then taking her hand out," I'm Katherine Little."

"Cameron Frye," he shook her hand.

Her grip was firm and the shine in her eyes was strong. For a moment, he found that the way the light touched her eyes was beautiful. She thanked him again for the pen and went to walk away. She stopped in an instant and whipped around.

"You wanna go grab some lunch?"

"Sure," Cameron threw one strap on his shoulder," So, I see you always taking a lot of notes in history. You must really love history."

"I do," Katherine nodded," I'm actually majoring in history. I've always had this thing with monuments and places and people. Studying the past has always been my number one interest in school. It's helped my writing."

"You write?"

"Oh yeah! I've been working on some stories, but they're all historical fiction. But, aside from writing, I dream of working in a museum."

As they sat down and ate, Katherine was talking about her dream and how a museum would be the perfect place to be able to work. There would be kids asking questions and inspiration surrounding her. Cameron didn't mind that she was getting into depth about her career. He couldn't help but smile when she apologized for talking so much.

"I don't mind," he said," I wish I had a major to talk about."

"I wouldn't worry too much about it," she admitted," It's your first semester and not a lot of people know what they want to do with their lives. Sometimes, it's the right course, or the right professor or the right assignment. But something's gonna click and you'll find what you love."

Cameron nodded, but he couldn't help but feel bad about not having a major. He knew, in time, he would, but for now, he was just getting away from his family. Katherine could tell that he was slightly distraught, so they decided to continue a different conversation as they were leaving.

"So where are you from?" she asked as they walked.

"Chicago," Cameron mentioned," You?"

"Youngstown," she said," in Ohio. It's an okay place but I miss it. My family, my friends, my old school-do you miss home?"

"Only the part about the friends. They're about the only thing I'm gonna miss most. Especially my best friend. Y'know, he's the only true friend I've had—even if he was a pain in my ass."

Katherine gave a small laugh and Cameron did too. He enjoyed her company as they approached his building in which they found out that they shared the same building.

"Hey Cam!"

The two looked up to find Charlie waving from the window. He gave a thumbs up to the two. His roommate was embarrassed but Katherine couldn't help but smile.

"I take it that's your roommate?"

"Yep. A nice guy but I worry…"

"Ah," she nodded, walking to her door," Hey, Cam, maybe we can hang out sometime?"

"Sure, I would love to."

She smiled and bid him a good day. As he went up the stairs, Cameron couldn't help but smile. Katherine was on his mind and her words about having a major stuck. He kept thinking about them as he entered the room, finding Charlie with Dusty, Miranda and Justin all sitting about.

"Looks like you got yourself a girlfriend, Hot Shot," Dusty laughed.

"Even if she will be," Cameron set his backpack down," that wouldn't be for a while now. We just had lunch and talked about our majors. Well, her major."

"Besides," Miranda sighed," our major concern is getting to humiliate Josh Stapleton."

That's what they were here about? Cameron sighed and put his stuff down. He had work to do and this was not something that would change his life. He walked to his desk and put his books down. He informed the crew that, at that moment, he was busy and had more important work to do. Though they understood, the four were huddled together to discuss what they could do. Each idea that came about was...a failure, to say the least. Cameron listened in on their conversation. They were all coming up with these awful ideas that were too stupid to believe. He'd only known these people in a short amount of time, but he knew, they were going to be friends and they would have to work together.

"How about we catch him cheating?" Dusty mentioned.

"Alright," Cameron stood up," we don't want to get him kicked out of school. We just want to show him that we won't be pushed down. That we're all as important as one another..and maybe humiliate him. Now, what we could do is little pranks here and there, but then, we really get him."

"How about at one of his parties?" Justin brought up," He doesn't throw them often, but when he does, almost everyone is there."

"And that would work?"

"Of course!"

Cameron smiled down at his crew, knowing this was going to be very interesting.


End file.
